Proposal, Gunboat, C-119K: NASM swag

[Orionblamblam]

Something from the NASM archive: an overly and oddly armed C-119K. What the guns on the starboard side are supposed to shoot at, I'm not at all clear.

 

[AeroFranz]

Nice find.
Can you read the label on the box-looking thingies in the starboard wing? it says polyurethane something...
The reason for the guns on the starboard side might be to allow a different orbit. One of the criticisms moved towards Specters is that their orbits are predictable (hence vulnerable) since they have to perform pylon turns always on the same side. Just a guess.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Can you read the label on the box-looking thingies in the starboard wing? it says polyurethane something...

POLYURETHANE - ALL TANKS
(RECTANGULAR TANKS EASILY ACCESSIBLE,
LEND TO UNCOMPLICATED SYSTEM)

PS: higher rez versions on the blog...

 

[starviking]

Something from the NASM archive: an overly and oddly armed C-119K. What the guns on the starboard side are supposed to shoot at, I'm not at all clear.

Looking at the larger pic on your blog, I noticed that the armour on the starboard side is much lower than on the port side - 20 inches vs. 40 inches high.

Maybe the reason for this is that the lightly gunned side is for use in mopping-up near the end of an operation. Less hostile fire = lower altitude maybe? Any signs of a starboard gunnery station?

Adding those extra two guns in also provides that extra fire-power whilst balancing some of the load on the port side - fit as much fire-power as a bigger plane into a smaller one.

 

[starviking]

Nice find.
Can you read the label on the box-looking thingies in the starboard wing? it says polyurethane something...
The reason for the guns on the starboard side might be to allow a different orbit. One of the criticisms moved towards Specters is that their orbits are predictable (hence vulnerable) since they have to perform pylon turns always on the same side. Just a guess.

The different orbit might also enable a better (i.e. quicker) response in a fluid situation - if a target appears on the starboard side the plane can get guns on target much more quickly.

 

[Jemiba]

Wouldn't there be a problem with targeting, as the pilot had a reflector gunsight just
beside his head on the lefthand side. Or would the co-pilot have to take over for engaging
targets in a right-hand circle ? ???

 

[starviking]

Wouldn't there be a problem with targeting, as the pilot had a reflector gunsight just
beside his head on the lefthand side. Or would the co-pilot have to take over for engaging
targets in a right-hand circle ? ???

There must have been some way to target the guns on the port side. Maybe some kind of optical sighting like that could be switched to either side - or maybe just the co-pilot taking over or giving instructions ("up a bit, down a bit - fire!") ;D

Your guess is a good as mine...

 

[Jemiba]

With a swivelling gunsight, the co-pilot would have had to duck to allow the
pilot to use it. And view to the left wouldn't be as good as to the right.
So it probably would have been better, to split the tasks.
(Photo from Larry Davis "Gunships" shows the gunsight installation in the AC-47,
directly besides the pilots seat)
The reason for this variant, which would have been armed more heavily, than the
A-119K, even without the guns on the right side, remains doubtful to me . ???

 

[Pioneer]

Very interesting Orionblamblam , am sorry I missed this, way back in 2008 :-[

This Gunboat C-119K is very specialised - undoubtedly as a consequence of combat experience

Of interest is the specialised 'Illumination' module, just after the cockpit!

Pitty we haven't found out more over the years :'(

Regards
Pioneer

 

[hesham]

Hi,

Warbird Alley: Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar